


Stargazing

by CatherynnStars



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Angst and Romance, Developing Relationship, F/M, Light Angst, Pre-Android Saga, Romance, Short & Sweet, Stargazing, Three Year Gap (Dragon Ball), Vegebul, gotta love the tsundere
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:09:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26782690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatherynnStars/pseuds/CatherynnStars
Summary: Vegeta, the cold-hearted Prince of all Saiyans, is found stargazing outside one night. Bulma, the blue-haired genius of the Briefs family, decides to join him.Three stargazing "scenes" that show a bit of the evolution of their relationship, and how our favorite badman has grown. Short and sweet.
Relationships: Bulma Briefs/Vegeta
Comments: 13
Kudos: 76





	1. Solitude

**Author's Note:**

> This story was beta read by the absolutely lovely [rogue_1102](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rogue_1102/pseuds/rogue_1102)!! A thousand thanks and all my love for you offering your time to read this over and give honest feedback. I am so happy that you supported this little idea of mine! Y'all, please, if you haven't seen any of Rogue's writing you need to go read ASAP as possible. 
> 
> Thank you also to the Vegebulocracy discord, a home of mine for only the last few months but full of loving and wonderful people.

“What are you doing out here?” A feminine voice pierced the silence around Vegeta, and he closed his eyes with a sharp exhale. There was never any peace around this forsaken place, even when he had gone to the edges of the Capsule Corp property to get some time alone outside with just the grass below him and the sky above. He truly underestimated just how much of a nuisance that Earth woman could be. She needed to be working on things to enhance his training, and if she had come out for anything other than to tell him that the training bots were repaired then he didn’t want to hear it. 

“What does it matter to you?” Vegeta said, casting a sideways glance in her direction. A couple of small, dark smears of what he was certain was dirt or oil contrasted against her bare arms, and he realized she must have been working prior to coming outside. But then why stop? Probably distracted by the weakling that was always loitering around, he thought. Maybe they got into a fight, and she left to find yet another distraction from her first one.

Bulma shrugged and took a seat on the ground next to the Saiyan prince lying on his back. “Sorry, I just didn’t expect you of all people to be doing something like stargazing.” 

“And why’s that?” 

“I don’t know; I’ve only ever seen you eat, sleep, and train. Even then, I haven’t seen you sleep, I’m just assuming you do sometimes.” 

“Hmph.” The Saiyan kept his arms behind his head and continued to face towards the inky black expanse of space. Bulma’s brow furrowed in response to his indifference towards her. 

“You still haven’t answered my question. Why are you out here?”

“Saiyans grew up studying the stars, the different planets, and structures in the galaxy. And seeing how I can’t continue my training at the moment because you haven’t fixed anything, I’m out here.” 

“It sounds more like you’re using that as an excuse to enjoy something that’s not related to violence. Are you being sappy, Vegeta?”

“What?” He barked, immediately sitting up and turning towards her. She arched a brow and smirked, pleased with the reaction to her teasing. The cunning scientist winked and laid back to stare at the night sky above just as he had before her interruption. But instead of joining her in admiration of the stars, his gaze swept over her body stretched out before him. Her tight, purple tank top had ridden up when she folded her arms behind her head, and he could see an exposed strip of pale skin just below the hem of her shirt. He caught himself before his mind could wander too far, berating himself mentally for the salacious fantasies about the woman’s body and wanting to move her tank top just a little higher. The blue-haired beauty had barged her way into his thoughts the same way she barged into his life in reality, and those thoughts were becoming increasingly vulgar. There was no time to entertain such ridiculous fantasies. It just meant that he had to increase his mental strength so as to not waste his time preoccupied with such thoughts each time he saw her wandering around the compound. Either way, he thought of her as a fool for leaving herself so open and vulnerable to an enemy. 

He laid back down, annoyed at everything at that moment. Annoyed that she didn’t seem threatened by him. Annoyed that she had decided to intrude. Annoyed by her remarks. Annoyed by his physical desires. 

Bulma turned her head to look at Vegeta, and spoke, “You know you can just admit that you like being out here and taking breaks from training. It’s not a bad thing to like having fun; humans do it all the time.” 

“Instead of coming out here and spouting nonsense, why don’t you put your brain to use and make good on our deal? I wouldn’t be taking any sort of break if you would just fix what needs to be fixed! Or maybe you could spend even more time doing something that doesn’t involve pestering me with your ramblings and figure out a way to actually have your technology challenge me,” the prince said, scowling. 

“You’re so ungrateful!” She exclaimed, mirroring the scowl on Vegeta’s face, “all I ever do is work, you never even thank me or my family for what we do!”

“Why would I? You should be thanking  _ me _ for allowing you all to live.” 

“You’re such a  _ jerk _ !”

“And you’re a loud, aggravating woman!”

“Ugh!” Bulma sat up and rose to her feet, “I was just trying to be friendly since you’re always in such a bad mood! Did you ever have any friends or anything like that when you were growing up, or have you always been such a miserable brute?” 

“Woman, do you know who you’re talking to? The Prince of all Saiyans doesn’t require friends, especially not when they’re soft little creatures who can’t hold their own in a battle. You’re just a spoiled brat parading around with that coward all the time when you  _ should _ be working to help me get stronger!” he retorted angrily. 

“You’re not any prince of mine, and I certainly don’t take orders from you. If you can’t learn how to talk to me and just demand things left and right, then expect to be waiting a long time for any new training bots!”

Bulma stomped away, shouting one last time into the night. Vegeta listened as her grumbling got fainter as she retreated, and he shook his head. He didn’t want her friendship, and he didn’t ask for her company. All he needed from her was her brain, her lab, and her equipment. Nothing more. 

“Tch. Annoying Earth woman.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for clicking on this fic and giving Part 1 a read. Parts 2 and 3 are already written, and will be uploaded in a timely manner. I appreciate any time of yours you spent checking this out, and hope you continue to enjoy! Part 2 is definitely the "meat" of the story, and was actually the first bit I wrote!


	2. Strength

Vegeta felt the hard earth against his back as he lay on the grass outside of the Capsule Corp building. He had only returned from training off-planet a few days prior, but it wasn’t the impending arrival of the androids that had him shaken. If anything, a fight against them almost excited him. They were a new challenge, and the prince felt his body getting stronger each day. These androids were a chance to prove that he was stronger than all of them- the earthlings, the androids, Kakarot. The laughable possibility of failure was far from his mind. But, in its place, a different kind of gnawing fear sat on the edge of his thoughts daily since returning to Earth. 

“Trunks.”

“What?” He snapped, not bothering to look in the woman’s direction. He knew it had to be her, the blue-haired banshee that was present in his thoughts even when he had been planets away. No matter where he was in the universe, she was a distraction. He would hear her laugh echoing in the empty caves he slept in, a sweet sound that he tried his damnedest to forget. If he looked up at just the right moment on the planets that had sunsets, he saw the same turquoise shade of blue as her hair. When he didn’t pass out from overexertion into a dreamless sleep, he dreamt of her mischievous smirk and the sway of her hips. He would wake up, secretly longing for the feel of those same lips trailing light kisses across his warm skin once more. Though he dismissed his feelings as purely carnal, there was no denying that he wanted- no,  _ needed _ \- her in any way he could get her upon his arrival. But his desires had to wait, as he was too stunned by the news she shared with him when they reunited.

The blue-haired woman stood a few steps away from the Saiyan, one arm resting across the top of her very prominent baby bump while she spoke. “Trunks. That’s the baby’s name.” 

He frowned, recalling their conversation the other day. The curve of her stomach was the first curve of hers that he noticed when he saw her again. He had been walking through the main building, searching for her and torn between demanding she upgrade the gravity room for his new level of power and demanding that she be  _ his _ right then and there. As soon as his eyes took in her physique, the fire in him had turned into an overwhelming wave of confusing emotions. Her expression of surprise had quickly turned into one of anger, and instead of a sensual embrace he received a hard slap that left the side of his face stinging. She had started to yell at him about leaving, about the  _ baby _ that she was left with, about how  _ he was going to be a father _ . The conversation was mostly lost to him due to pure shock, and anything he might have said he couldn’t recall. All that registered with him was that this was  _ his fault _ , and he was going to have a  _ son _ . Between her shrieking and the sudden onset of emotions that he didn’t recognize, he quickly made his exit and had been avoiding her since then. His feelings had been a problem, a weakness, and having her around was a detriment to the progress he had been making. 

“Hel-lo? Do you have anything to say at all?” Bulma’s temper started to flare up at the man’s silence. 

Vegeta scoffed, “Why would you choose that, of all names in the universe.” He turned his face further away from her, eyebrows furrowing in irritation. He crossed his arms across his chest, and focused hard on the sparkling light from the far-away planet Meido. Vegeta tried to mentally will her back in the direction of her home, but knew she was there to stay. She was annoyingly stubborn, and he knew that tonight would be the night they finally were going to have to have a conversation about the child- whether he was ready or not. 

“It’s not like you were around when I was going through baby names,” Bulma said with an eye roll and gingerly lowered herself to the ground to sit next to Vegeta, who had yet to spare a glance in her direction. She leaned back, legs stretched out in front of her, and sighed. 

The father-to-be finally gave in and peeked over to look at her stomach. A wave of anxiety rocked the Saiyan prince to his core, and his black eyes darted away once more towards the stars above. He held his arms even tighter against his chest, hoping to squash the unfamiliar and unwelcome feeling. It’s fear, he told himself. The acknowledgement of such a weakness in the great warrior disgusted him, but no amount of pushing the physical limits was able to lessen the discomfort he felt when it came to addressing his future son. 

“I was training,” he said bluntly. 

“Whatever. You don’t get to complain about his name after missing most of the pregnancy to go train. I don’t even know why you would go somewhere else,” she huffed. 

“Because, training in other conditions benefits me best.”

“Well, you could have just-”

“Woman, what would I have done for it had I known?” Vegeta questioned harshly, “you want me to bring you food all the time, or listen to you complain about how you don’t fit into anything? Don’t you have your mother to help you with this? It’s been insufferable and I’ve only been back for a few days.” 

“Well, I’m sorry,” she began hotly, “he’s your baby too! I started to think you had left forever, and maybe I was hoping now that you were back that you would actually focus on someone other than yourself.” 

“Why would I have left forever?”

“You don’t even care about Earth, why should I think that you won’t just use my family’s stuff just to get stronger and leave us all to die?” Bulma sat up straight and crossed her arms just like the hot-headed prince, albeit with a little more difficulty. 

“I don’t care about the Earth, you’re right about that. It’s just another rock in the universe similar to the many I’d blown up in the past. But this technology is enough to push me to my limits, and I will soon enough surpass Kakarot’s power level thanks to your facilities.”

He felt her eyes on him, but his gaze remained fixed on the night sky above them. He wouldn’t look at her. He couldn’t. 

She spoke again after a slight pause, “Is that the only reason you’re doing all of this? To prove that you’re stronger than Goku?” 

“The only logical thing for me to do is get stronger. My purpose is to be the greatest Saiyan warrior, to be the strongest in this universe, and nobody will stand in my way.” 

“And so you’ll do whatever and leave whoever you have to, to achieve this?”

“I have a destiny to fulfill, and you can’t possibly be giving me trouble over this child when neither of us knew about it when I left!" 

“That’s not the point, Vegeta!”

“Then get to the point, woman! Must you always talk in circles?!” He snarled, sitting up and looking into her cerulean eyes for the first time since she walked up to him. His growing irritation had boiled over, but yet again the woman in front of him caused a tightness in his chest that was different from what he felt after a good fight. 

“The point is I’m not going to raise baby Trunks alone, and I’ll be damned if you think you’ll just leave us here while you go flying around the universe all the time!” Tears started to form in Bulma’s eyes, and the unease hit Vegeta once more. He could see her anger waver from the onset of sadness. She was trying to appear strong still, ever so frustratingly stubborn, but her frown was shaky from her trembling lips. The very ones he had dreamt about for months while he was away. The same ones that he had yet to see smile or feel against his own since he left. 

He turned his head away from her once more.  _ This  _ was why he couldn’t look at her. He was used to anger and hate from those around him, not whatever it was she was feeling. Her, this child, his own muddled thoughts. None of it made sense to him, and he hated how it left him feeling lost. He was a soldier, a prince, and called many other things by enemies. What would Vegeta’s father say if he saw how his son had become so enchanted by a weak Earth woman? How the heir to the Saiyan throne had fallen from greatness? What would he think knowing their lineage would be continued through a half-Saiyan, or knowing that his son was not as strong as once believed?

“I wasn’t running off for fun or whatever it is you think I was doing. Have you listened to anything I’ve said? It was essential.” 

“Essential or not, I expect you to be present in his life when he’s born!” Bulma snapped. Her voice was shaky like her frown, and he could tell she was trying her best to push back her crying. 

“Who said I didn’t intend on this? The boy will have Saiyan blood,  _ royal  _ Saiyan blood. He will know who I am.” 

“Yes, but will he know you’re _his_ _father_ , or will he know you’re _the Prince of all Saiyans_?” 

Vegeta’s jaw tensed when he heard the word “father”, and he spoke through gritted teeth, “He will know what he needs to know.” 

Bulma raised a hand to wipe tears from her face and sniffled quietly. Her other hand dropped down to rub her stomach again, almost as if she were soothing the unborn’s cries after overhearing the tense conversation. Vegeta risked another peek at the blue-haired woman, and fought the temptation to reach out to her. What would he have done to comfort her, though? Would she even accept his touch? He was the one who upset her in the first place, but she should have known that this conversation was not going to end well. It wasn’t his fault that she went picking fights with him. 

“You’ve made your point. I don’t know why I bothered coming out here to try to talk to someone like you. I should have known you don’t care about anything but yourself and your stupid prince title.” Bulma moved to stand, but he grabbed her wrist firmly and kept her sitting. She looked over at him, surprised by his sudden movement. 

“Sit back down, woman. Do you truly believe I don’t care about anything but myself?” He forced himself to look into her eyes, and where Bulma would usually find them to be dark and unreadable, this time she found a glimmer of something more. 

She bit her lip before responding, “I think you might care about other things, like fighting, or killing, or eating. But what I  _ want _ you to care about is- I just- I don’t want to be alone.” The normally brazen beauty had become quieter, more timid at this admission. “I don’t want you to disappear, and Trunks grow up without knowing who his dad really is, but I don’t want you to take him away from me either. I need you to care about him, just the tiniest bit...and to care about me more than just enough to get into my bed every single night.” Bulma shot him a small, playful smile but her eyes betrayed her and still sparkled with tears. 

He felt his ears get hot in reaction to her last remark, but he maintained eye contact. “If I didn’t already care the smallest amount, we wouldn’t be here having this conversation. I would have left as soon as you got out here, before you could make yourself cry.”

“Then why have you been hiding from me? You’ve barely looked in my direction since I first saw you again. I know I’m a whale of a person right now, but you haven’t even demanded food or better equipment. And when I told you about Trunks, you stormed out and wouldn’t talk to me about him.” Her eyebrows furrowed, expression changing from playful to concerned as she spoke. 

“I left to train for a period of time, and came back to discover that I am going to become a father to a half-breed. I’d say my reaction is justified. You were also screeching so loud the Namekians could probably hear you,” Vegeta said matter-of-factly. Her expression relaxed once more, and she nodded. 

“So, it’s not because I’m too ugly now?”

“Woman,” he began, exasperated, “nothing about your physical appearance is unappealing to me. Your body is strong enough to birth a Saiyan child. He may only be half-Saiyan, but that doesn’t make you any less impressive. Your level of intellect is also high, sometimes too high for its own good, and you put all Earth women and could possibly have put some Saiyans to shame with your ferocity.” 

Bulma grinned smugly, “So really, you were just scared of being a dad.”

Now it was Vegeta’s turn to look surprised, but that quickly turned into a displeased frown. He crossed his arms and snapped back. “A Saiyan fears nothing.” 

“Right, sure thing,  _ my prince _ . ” Bulma winked at her ill-tempered lover, and leaned in to tap him on the nose. She giggled at his flustered expression, and knew that she was right even if he wouldn’t admit it. It wasn’t her that he was running from, not really. It seemed even the bravest of men could question their confidence once a child was brought into the picture, and Bulma accepted that he must just be struggling with that feeling of uncertainty-something she was equally sure he must rarely feel. 

Vegeta’s light blush had returned, and he looked back up to the stars. “You are impossibly frustrating.” 

“And you’re just a grump,” she teased.

“A what?” 

“Nevermind,” she sighed, “will you be out here all night?”

“That depends,” he laid back on the grass, “will you finally leave me to go build more training bots, so I don’t  _ have _ to be out here all night.” 

“No. Not until you tell me a little bit about the different stars and planets you’ve been studying all night.” 

He narrowed his eyes, and after slight hesitation reached out yet again to pull her towards him. She leaned her head against his chest, satisfied with her win. He held her with one arm and pointed with the other to the far-off stars one by one, naming them and recounting a short story here and there. Of all the planets he had visited, all the stars and skies he’d stared at, this was the place that he secretly would have chosen over all others. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was my favorite "scene" to flesh out. I absolutely love the inner conflict with characters like Vegeta, and find it to be a really fun challenge to get that personality correct. I hope that came across well here, and thanks to everyone who has left messages or kudos for me! It means so much to me to know that y'all liked the start!


	3. Son

Bulma walked towards the figure she spotted in the distance, easily confirming from the unique silhouette that it was the proud Saiyan prince sitting on the ground and staring up at the twinkling starlight above. She smiled and adjusted the baby resting against her hip as she made her way to a clear section of property that she had mentally dubbed “Vegeta’s Special Stargazing Spot.” Sure, he would be furious if he found out her silly name for this, but she found it cute that this became a semi-regular activity for the usually standoffish man. 

“Trunks told me he wanted to come see the stars with you tonight,” said Bulma, smiling down at Vegeta. The baby in Bulma’s arms cooed, almost in confirmation of his mother’s statement. She touched the boy’s cheek, and he reached up to wrap his fingers around one of hers. 

“The infant can’t speak,” Vegeta said flatly, eyes flicking from the stars to Trunks, and back. 

“Vegeta, be nice,” Bulma said firmly, “he’s your son.” She glared down at him and held Trunks a little closer. 

Vegeta looked up, unintimidated by the fire in her eyes. But it was the boy that drew his attention. The little one looked at his father with wide eyes, still babbling quietly. After a few seconds of staring between father and son, Vegeta gave in and held his arms out to take the infant. 

“Hmph. Fine. Bring him here. He may not be able to speak, but the boy better be able to listen. I’m not going to reteach him about these stars and planets when he’s older.” 

Bulma’s expression softened, and she leaned down to pass the child into Vegeta’s arms. He held the boy out at arm’s length, still staring intensely at the child, and Bulma rolled her eyes as she took a seat next to the awkward Saiyan. Trunks waved his arms in the air and started to squirm. 

“Vegeta, he doesn’t like to be held that way for too long! Hold him in your lap, or against your chest or something!” Bulma chided, reaching out to take the baby back into her arms. Vegeta pulled Trunks in close before she could take him back, surprising the blue-haired woman. She looked at him with raised eyebrows, and he shot her an annoyed look.

“Woman, I’ve been commanding others for years, I’m certain I know how to handle an infant.” 

“Whatever you say. I’m sure that yelling at alien soldiers prepared you well for caring for an infant,” she said sarcastically. 

His brow furrowed more, but he remained silent and turned to look at Trunks once more. He reached towards his father and hit his tiny hands against Vegeta’s chest. Amused by his son’s actions, he smirked. “Look at that. Already a fighter.” 

“I think he just wants your attention.” 

“No, it’s the Saiyan in him. Now listen up, boy, you’ll only hear this once.” Vegeta turned Trunks around so he was leaning against him, and pointed towards the sky, speaking as though the baby were able to understand his every word. Bulma was elated to see the two together and was pleasantly surprised by the man’s uncharacteristically warm interactions. A few minutes passed before the new mother came up with an idea to leave the pair to bond, and she moved to put her plan into action. 

“Sorry, boys, I have to run in the house for a minute. I forgot I left a project unsecured, and I really don’t want anything happening to it.”

Vegeta broke his gaze from the planets, and peered at Bulma with narrowed eyes, “Can’t your mother or a bot or whatever take care of that?”

“I don’t trust anyone else to do that but me,” she said, shaking her head. 

He nodded in understanding and turned his face back to the sky, “Don’t be long. If he gets bothersome, I’m going to come find you.” 

“I’m sure he’ll be perfectly content with you.” 

“Hurry, woman.” 

She nodded, and leaned over to give each a quick kiss on the cheek. The Saiyan prince pointed yet again towards the sky, and started to describe a distant planet to Trunks. Bulma began her walk back to the main building, and Vegeta’s voice faded away with each step she took. She turned back around to watch the pair once more, still smiling. Of all the places in the universe Vegeta could have ended up, she felt there was nowhere more suitable for him than here underneath the stars with their son. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! First VegeBul down!! I didn't think I'd write a story like this for a long while, but I guess it's a great way to celebrate my almost anniversary in the fandom! 
> 
> Just a story that had taken up some brain space that I'm happy to finally have down. I hope y'all enjoyed the snippets of their relationship. 
> 
> Once more, many thanks to [rogue_1102](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rogue_1102/pseuds/rogue_1102) for your friendship and your beta-ing!! Thank you to all of those who have taken the time to read my writing, I never thought I'd be back to sharing my writing and it's been a wonderful experience.


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